Animal Control

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Contacting Animal Control

If you have an issue with a dog/ livestock or other animal please call Animal Control Officer:027 565 9868

This is the only number that can be used to contact Animal Control. Please do not contact Animal Control Officers through any other phone number.

Do's and Don'ts

Do's:

Call 027 565 9868 if you find a lost/loose animal/dog.

Call 027 565 9868 if you lose or need help with controlling an animal/dog

Dont's

Visit the homes of our Officers looking for your dog. Dog's are kept at the Council Pound, not at the home's of our Officers

Call any other number (including the personal numbers of our Officers) to contact Animal Control.

Expect to get your dog/animal back for free. If we impound a dog there will be a impound fee of $50 per night plus a $20 sustenance fee. If your dog is unregistered when it is impounded it will not be released until registration is paid.

How Animal Control Works

KDC is responsible for registering and generally keeping an eye on dogs in our District. As part of this our Dog Control Officers are called out to deal with stray or loose dogs on a regular basis.

Our Animal Control Offices work weekly shifts. The Officer on duty changes from week to week.

What we do with dogs/animals we find. Council is required to impound any found dogs/animals. Impounded animals are not kept at the homes of any of our Animal Control Officers. Please do not visit the homes of our Officers looking for your dog. Instead, give them a call on 0275659868 and they’ll tell you what to do.

We work closely with the police to keep dogs, dog owners and our Animal Control Officers safe. We involve them when we need to and keep them up to date with any issues. For safety reasons, if Animal control Officers are called out after 5pm they may be accompanied by Police.

If you lose your dog/animal ring the Duty Animal Control Officer on 0275659868. They’ll ask for information about the dog/animal and then let you know if/when they find it.

If you see a lost/loose dog/animal: ring the Duty Animal Control Officer on 0275659868. Do NOT approach any strange dogs yourself as it can be dangerous.

The purpose of the Dog Control Policy is to provide clear guidance to the public and Council staff involved in the administration of the Dog Control Act 1996. It also outlines your responsibilities as a Dog owner.

Please share this information with anyone you know who has questions about Dog Control. If your questions aren’t answered here fell free to contact us and we’ll get you the information you need.

Annual Dog Registration

Registering your dog:

Dog registration forms and payment are due by July 31.

Dog owners who are already on our system should have received a letter with all the information you need to register your dog for this year. We’ve made a few changes to the system this year so please check everything very carefully.

New dog owners/ dog owners not in our system can download a New Dog Registration Form or call us and we can email you one. Completed forms can be returned via email, post or in person.

Please note: dog tags won’t be issued until payment and completed registration form have been received.

The registration year for dogs runs from 01 July to the 30 June each year.

How to pay:

You can pay by mail (cheque) or over the counter (cheque, cash, eftpos) at the Kaikoura District Council office, Level 2, 96 West End, Kaikoura .

Please make sure you attach (or have with you) your completed and signed dog registration form showing any changes in dog details since the previous registration.

If you are found with an unregistered dog you may be issued with a fine and your dog may be impounded.

Where does the registration money go?

Your dog's registration fee helps fund the activities of the Council's Animal Control services. This means that the cost of providing a professional Animal Control service is shared between all dog owners.

What are the benefits of dog registration?

The Kaikoura District Council is required by law to ensure that all dogs within the Kaikoura District are registered. Registration indicates to the Council that the owner is aware of their legal responsibilities as a dog owner. These responsibilities are contained in the Dog Control Act 1996 and the Kaikoura District Councils Dog Control Bylaw 2015.

Registration tags:

Registered dogs receive a colour-coded tag that must be worn at all times on their collar. The colour changes each year. With this tag, your dog can be easily identified and returned to you if he is found wandering. Other registered dogs that may be upsetting your pet or causing you a problem to your family or property, can also be identified and incidents followed up with their owners.

If you dog lose its tag, there is a small charge to replace it. The replacement tag will have a new registration number.

Change of address:

If you change your address or give your dog to someone else to look after, either permanently or for longer than 14 days, you must tell us. If you and your dog change address but remain in the same Council area, please contact us within 14 days.

If you or your dog move to another area, find out what you need to do to transfer your registration by contacting the Council in that area (usually you will go into the new Council and simply swap your current registration tag for a new one in the new area) at no charge.

If your dog dies

If your dog dies, please notify the Council as soon as possible. Once we receive your notification, we will refund your registration for every full month remaining in the registration year. For example if your dog is currently registered and dies in September, provided that we have received notification during that same month, the registration fee will be refunded from October until the end of the financial year which is 30 June annually.

Puppies:

Puppies need to be registered by the time they are 12 weeks old (3 months). It is best to apply for your registration well before that date.

Special permits:

If you live in a residential zone and own, or are keeping, more than two dogs you will need to apply for a permit for that property. You must apply by writing a letter to us.A Dog Control Officer will visit your property. The history of you as a dog owner and that of your dogs will be taken into consideration; also the cleanliness and size of the kennelling facilities on your property.

If you move address or acquire a different dog, you will need to re-apply for another permit.